Workplace pensions

There are different types of workplace pensions. The exact details of the pension will vary from employer to employer. Usually:

You pay a certain amount of your salary into the scheme.

Your employer will take the money from your salary and pay it directly into the pension scheme.

Your employer and the government contribute money too.

Automatic enrolment

Since 2012, employers have had to enrol most employees into a pension scheme. If you're eligible you will be enrolled by February 2018, at the latest. But you can choose to opt out either immediately or in the future. Your employer must also pay money into the scheme.

Taking time off work or reducing your hours

If you get sick pay during a period off work, you could continue to build up your workplace pension as normal. But this is not always the case. If you’re off work for a long period, your pension may stop building up.

To check if your pension will be affected by time off or reduced hours, talk to your employer, the HR department at work or the pension scheme manager.